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TRAVEL ADISORY; A Casablanca Landmark Is Ready for Its Debut

By MARVINE HOWE

Published: February 22, 2004

Here's good news for those cinephiles who over the years have searched the streets of Casablanca in vain for the legendary Rick's Café: a real Rick's Café is scheduled to open on Feb. 29, to coincide with the Academy Awards 61 years after ''Casablanca'' won the Best Picture Oscar.

In a once elegant Moroccan home on the edge of the old Medina overlooking the city's port, Rick's attempts to recreate the atmosphere of the Warner Brothers' wartime film ''Casablanca'' with a domed skylight, arches, a tiled patio, round tables with white tablecloths, brass lamps with beaded shades, and waiters in white dinner jackets and black turbans.

The new Rick, however, is an American woman, Kathy Kriger, who will keep tabs on the scene from her lodgings upstairs. Madam Kathy, as she is known locally, is a well traveled entrepreneur who gave up her last job as commercial counselor at the American consulate in Casablanca to fulfill an old dream.

The project has taken much longer (wrangles over property and the permit process) and cost a lot more (close to a $1 million) than anticipated. Ms. Kriger had the blessings of the former governor of Casablanca, Driss Benhima, who saw Rick's as a cornerstone of his own plans to develop the Medina and the marina for tourism. And she was able to round up 40 investors, including the Moroccan vintner Reda Zniber; a former United States ambassador to Morocco, Frederick Vreeland; and the Los Angeles lawyer Alan Rothenberg, who is involved in Morocco's bid to be host to the 2010 World Cup soccer championship.

Ms. Kriger says the cuisine will be ''Californian-Mediterranean, served with lots of nostalgia'': chili con carne with corn bread, beef goulash, moussaka, fish and even some Asian-inspired dishes. Dinner with wine is expected to cost about $35, plus tax, each.

And ''Sam'' will be on hand. He is Lenny Bluett, an 85-year-old, 6-foot-5 pianist who is the son of the cook for Humphrey Bogart, who was, of course, Rick in the film. Mr. Bluett actually tried out for the original role of Sam, but was considered too tall and too young. Now, he'll be playing ''As Time Goes By'' at Rick's Café.

Rick's is at 248 boulevard Sour Jdid; (212-22) 27.42.07, fax (212-22) 48.78.84; www.rickscafe.ma. It plans to serve lunch and dinner daily, and show old movies on Sunday nights MARVINE HOWE